Basic Photocomposition

Mass Communication Department School of Arts and Sciences Ateneo de Davao University

Selection of Visual Elements

© Rexor Amancio

Proper Arrangement of Elements

© Shaulia Almeria

Smooth Combination of Elements

© Yuell Lisondra

Photocomposition

Foundation upon which we build our photo images by the §  correct selection §  arrangement and §  combination of the visual elements

within the picture area to produce a harmonious and pleasing photograph

Limitation of Photography

§  Photographer can use of objects within a frame of the camera viewfinder.

§  Not to point the camera head on and shoot like a tourist who does look around for the best angle and lighting condition.

§  Little harder than the artist, he must find a scene that has the best composition by finding the right angle, choosing the right lenses, at the right time of the day for the best lighting condition and using creative exposures.

Decide what’s your Subject

§  What’s your subject? §  Remove clutter you see in the viewfinder. §  Keep your backgrounds clean. If possible

use DOF that will show clearly your subject.

§  May allow distractions in the foreground or background to remain out of focus.

Distraction Elimination

§  Eliminate distractions. Identify your subject and emphasize only the subject.

§  It is best to communicate only one idea per photograph. A written sentence that does too much is called a run-on sentence and is considered poor English.

§  A run-on photograph is bad photography. Keep each photograph simple. Remove unnecessary elements. Move in closer if required.

What’s subject in

this photo?

What’s wrong with this photo?

How do I remove the clutter?

Basic Elements of Photocomposition

§  Mass §  Line §  Form §  Value §  Color

MASS

§  Objects, such as trees, houses, mountains, lakes or any other large or small object within the picture area (viewfinder).

§  These are the objects the photographer is “stuck” with and has to do the best with what is in front of the camera.

Mass

Vancouver, BC Canada July 7, 2004 (Bong Eliab)

Mass

§  Mass comes in two sections §  Formal Balance: equal balance or classical

balance; it elicits feelings of dignity, repose, but makes static, unimaginative photo images as the objects in the picture are of equal size, one balancing the other equally. It makes the photograph uninteresting and boring after the first look

Toronto City Hall, July 9, 2004 (Bong Eliab)

Mass

§  Informal Balance: un-even or un-equal balance in the picture area

Toronto Yonge St., Canada July 9, 2004 (Bong Eliab)

Avoid the Center or the Bull’s Eye Composition

Use the entire photograph. Placing your subject in the geometric center of your view finder is not pleasing to the eye and does not efficiently use your picture space. Avoid the center. Before you snap the shutter, check all four corners of the finder to see that you are properly using the space.

Avoid the Center or the Bull’s Eye Composition

With the main subject at the center, the eye will go in to picture and stay in the center and will not move around to see and enjoy other objects in the frame. The eye will get tired very fast and lose interest in the photograph.

Bull’s Eye Composition

Golden Mean

Golden Mean

Golden Mean

§  Divide the picture area into “thirds” horizontally and vertically, the lines that cross in the picture area are the golden mean or the best spot in which to place your main subject as it is the focal point of the picture.

Golden Mean

§  The best spot is the upper right or the lower right because the eye enters the picture frame at the lower left hand corner, travels to the center of the picture area, then reaches the right hand position where it stops to look at the center of interest (main subject)

Rule of Thirds

Golden Mean

Golden Mean

Golden Mean

Golden Mean

Decentering

The branches in the foreground add depth and focus attention.

Decentering

This photograph just does not work in B&W. It is all about subtle color.

Rule of Thirds

Decentering

Color would add nothing here.

Framing

§  Try to frame your subject in such a way as to direct attention toward the subject.

Lines §  Vertical Line: it denotes dignity, height,

strength, and grandeur. We find verticals in trees, tall buildings, fences, people standing up, mountains, etc. A tall building shows height, grandeur and dignity. Trees show height and strength.

CN Tower, Toronto, Canada Jul 10. 2004 (Bong Eliab)

Lines

§  Horizontal Line: it denotes repose, calm, tranquility, peacefulness, such as a person lying in the grass sleeping, flowers in the field, the flatness of a desert scene or lake.

Toronto Harbour, Canada - Jul 10, 2004 (Bong Eliab)

Lines

§  Diagonal line: it gives the sensation of force, energy and motion as seen in trees bent by the wind, a runner at the starting line or a slope of a mountain as it climbs into the sky.

San Francisco, CA July 15, 2004 (Bong Eliab)

Diagonals

create depth and texture to the photo

Diagonal Accents

§  When possible, accent any diagonal lines in your scene. Diagonals are great for directing attention and for adding tension to your photograph.

§  Diagonals are visually exciting because they play against the rectilinear edges of the photograph.

§  Nothing can rivet attention as powerfully as a set of converging lines.

Diagonals

The diagonal horizon simply adds visual tension. Bong S. Eliab © Babusanta May 20, 2007

Diagonals

Strong diagonal elements and an interesting angle Bong S. Eliab © Babusanta May 20, 2007

Meandering

§  If your subject possesses curvature, try to compose in what is called an S-curve. This is visually interesting and works like a meandering diagonal.

§  The curve is a line of great beauty and charm, it creates the sensation of elasticity, charm and strength, perfect grace and balance

Eye Direction

S-Curve Body

S-Curve Body

S-Curve Body

Human Curvature

BHS

Leading Line

§  The line that leads your eye in to the picture area easily like a road, a shoreline or a river, a row of trees or a pathway.

§  The un-successful leading line will take the eye in to the picture but will zoom the eye right out of the picture if there is no “stopper” to hold the eye in the picture frame. The main subject should act as the stopper.

Leading Line

San Francisco, California Jul 15, 2004 (Bong Eliab)

Leading Lines

Bong S. Eliab © Babusanta May 20, 2007

Good Leading Lines

Circles

§  Circle: a continuous curve and its circular movement keeps the eye in the picture frame

Forms

§  Radii: a connection of lines meeting in the center, it is also an expansion of lines leaving the center. The eye has two ways to go when meeting the radii, it can be drawn toward to center or be led out of it. Caution must be done with the radii.

Toronto, July 10, 2004 (Bong Eliab)

Form

§  Cross: it shows “opposing forces in cohesion”, it creates a sensation of unity and relationship. The horizontal bar acts as the stopper while the vertical acts as the leading line.

Cornell University 2001

Value

§  Color also helps in photocomposition by drawing attention to the subjects. The eye will always go to the “brightest and lightest” colors in the photograph. Watch for the play of colors at all times.

Value of Colors

§  The value of colors depends on intensity, brightness and luminance factors. Thus colors have strong and weak values. They can be warm or cold, advancing or receding. The longer wavelength colors from red to yellow are usually described as strong, warm, advancing colors while the shorter wavelength colors, the greens and the blues may be described as weak, cold and receding colors.

Value of Colors

§  Pastel colors are quiet and moody while bright colors are strong and active. However, certain colors “react” very strongly if juxtaposed with others, giving contrasts. To many people, these will become “discords” rather than “harmonies.”

§  Hue is the scientific counterpart for the more popular word color. Red, yellow, green and blue are primary hues, while orange, blue-green, and violets ate secondary hues.

Value of Colors

§  Complimentary Colors: desirable in any photograph as it highlights and compliments each other. If you place primary and secondary colors in the color wheel, you will find that red will be opposite of green, orange of blue, yellow of violet, etc.

Accent Lighting

Avoid Horizon Bisection

§  In landscape photography it is usually best not to bisect your photograph with the horizon line. If you are photographing sky, put the horizon in the bottom third of the frame. If you are photographing land, why include one-half picture of empty sky? This issue of horizon placement is really just a special case of the first rule: use the entire frame.

Landscapes and Horizon

“Cutting” People

§  A photograph should be complete unto itself. §  Do not allow picture components to trail off

the edge of the photograph. This is especially true of portraits.

§  Try not to cut off people's legs, arms, and hands.

Framing Problem

What’s wrong with this?

Portraiture: Close Up

Portraiture: Close Up

Portraiture: Close Up

Portraiture: Close Up